This is a mix of memoir, travelogue, and history. The American author uses her experiences in meeting, marrying, and having a family with a Māori man as a starting point for chapters on New Zealand history and Māori culture. It’s a bit different technique but it works and I feel I learned a lot more than had it been just a book about New Zealand and Māori. The only fail is a chapter in which she describes her own genealogy, which goes so far off topic it’s jarring. It feels like it’s added in for the benefit of her kids and family and I wish she’d left it as a personal story for them, or an appendix if she was compelled to include it, or even a separate book. ( )

I enjoyed reading this book. I frequently found myself saying: "Yes," as Ms. Thompson put into words many of the thoughts I have had over the years about what to accept as fact with respect to culture clashes and the New Zealand experience in particular. I have read many of the books noted in the Bibliography so I accept her due diligence. I liked her lacing historical thought through her current experience. I also enjoyed being reminded of the places in New Zealand that she visited. In all I liked her style and will watch for availability of "Sea People." ( )

This is both a story of the author's personal romance and the British settlement of New Zealand. ( )

What a fascinating mélange of personal and colonial history! The author, from Boston, became enamored with the Antipodes and met and married a Maori man she met while researching New Zealand history. Chapters alternate between descriptions of the invasion of New Zealand by the Dutch, Captain Cook, and various biologists, and the author's personal experiences with her husband's kin. She covers other Pacific Island cultures as well, demonstrating similarities between Hawaiians, Marshall Islanders, and aborigines of Australia. The reader cannot help but draw parallels with the destruction of Native Americans, especially when the author recounts stories from her maternal ancestors, who were among the first non-Native settlers of Minnesota. Her sensitivity to cultural contrasts and her sharing of the struggles in her own marriage make this a remarkable read.

Quotes: "Maori values are tribal: what is good for the group is good for the individual, whereas the reverse does not necessarily hold true. The result is a society where everyone is cared for, but also one in which individual achievement is the exception rather than the norm. From the Pakeha (white) point of view, Maoris often look unambitious, while Pakehas, seen from the Maori perspective, look ruthless, isolated, and cold." ( )

I can't say I didn't learn anything by reading this book, but it was difficult to get through. I would not recommend it or choose to read anything else by this author. ( )